Dante Swoons before the Soaring Souls of Paolo and Francesca, Virgil at his Side

Dante Swoons before the Soaring Souls of Paolo and Francesca, Virgil at his Side — Henry Fuseli. c. 1818.

Medium: Etching and aquatint on ivory wove paper. Dimensions: Plate: 47 × 30.2 cm (18 9/16 × 11 15/16 in.); Sheet: 50 × 33.2 cm (19 11/16 × 13 1/8 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

In no other of Fuseli’s original prints (that is, prints made by him, in contrast to reproductive engravings made by others after his paintings) did he so closely approach the condition of drawing as here. The etched line and aquatint, a type of etching that uses powdered rosin to create a tonal effect, successfully evoke the penned line and brushed wash of his watercolors.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.